The Cellar: How to Preserve and Store Wine

People often ask me how I store and preserve my opened and unopened bottles of wine. Nothing is more frustrating than having good, half-empty bottles of wine go bad, however maneuvering the wine preservation and storage market can be difficult as there are literally thousands of products out there making all kinds of claims.

First things first.

The key to long-term wine storage is to make sure that the bottles are laying down on their sides, out of direct sunlight and that the temperature conditions are as consistent as possible – i.e. avoiding sudden and drastic changes. I’ve read a lot of literature on the topic and have concluded that most experts seem to agree that an ideal storage temperature is anywhere between 55-60 degrees, but that up to 64 degrees is fine also as long as it is consistent. If all you have are wine racks a good rule of thumb is to make sure to place them in a location so the bottles are always cool to the touch. If you are a serious wine enthusiast, or contemplating starting a collection, I highly recommend you ‘invest’ in a wine fridge. Get

Aesthetically Pleasing: No, Effective: Yes

one that allows you to control the temperature, but do your research and read reviews as there a lot of overpriced units out there.

When it comes to open bottles of wine don’t feel as if you have to finish it the same day you open it. Most wines can ‘survive’ one day. In fact, a lot of wines, especially richer whites and reds, get better after having been opened the day before. Simply push the cork back into the bottle and pop it in the fridge as the cold temperature slows down oxidation. A great trick that I use to keep wines fresh even longer (up to a week) involves pouring the leftover wine into a used (clean) plastic water bottle. Make sure to minimize the space (air) between the wine and the bottom of the screw cap and keep the wine in the fridge. Every time you pour a glass be sure to squeeze the air out of the bottle prior to closing it, again to minimize air contact. While not very romantic I have to say that I’ve used this trick for years and it works!

Cheers.

Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Feel free to email him at [email protected] with any wine-related question or learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings through the Providence Wine Academy.

11. Best Burger in MA

The third week in October was Burger Week at Zagat, and in honor of the legendary sandwich, they released their list of "50 States, 50 Burgers"; naming an "official" burger for each state.

Their pick from Massachusetts came from Cambridge, at Craigie on Main. According to Zagat:

"The relatively simple grass-fed beef patties are sandwiched between a homemade bun topped with sesame seeds. But in staying true to the restaurant’s elegant aesthetic, he dresses the burger with mace ketchup in lieu of Heinz."

10. Not For Wine Drinkers

While Massachusetts wine drinkers may love their local vineyards and wine shops, it turns out that Massachusetts pulled a failing grade - an 'F' - and ranked #44 overall, based on how friendly its wine laws are for consumers.

8. Michael Covino

When it comes to restaurants in Worcester, one name stands out above the rest; Michael Covino, President and CEO of Niche Hospitality Group.

This hospitality entrepreneur is one of the minds behind the revitalization of the Worcester dining scene. His restaurants include: Bocado, Worcester's first authentic Spanish Tapas and Wine Bar; Mezcal, the southwestern/Mexican destination that first opened on Shrewsbury Street and has since added a new location in Leominster; The Citizen at One Exchange Place, a significant addition to Worcester's changing downtown landscape; The People's Kitchen, located above The Citizen and featuring a "home cooked meal" approach; and Rye & Thyme, an American tavern in Leominster.

7. Cupcakes for a Cause

After the tragic bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in April, most of New England (and much of America) sought a way to help... and one Millbury woman found her own way to pitch in.

With a goal of raising $1,000 by selling cupcakes, Anne King of Queens Cups Bakery was able to raise $2,350 in four days; giving $1,000 to the One Fund Boston, and the other $1,350 to Technology Underwriting Greater Good (TUGG).

6. Alina Eisenhauer

To those with a sweet tooth in Worcester, they know the place to go is Sweet, the dessert bar created by Alina Eisenhauer. Alina has established herself as one of the biggest names in pastry in America after being part of several Food Network productions; Chopped, Cupcake Wars, as well as winning their Sweet Genius competition in 2011.

2013 was a big year for Alina. She expanded her business at a new location, and saw her invention, the cronut (she called them Dosants) explode, and she sat down with GoLocal's Susan Wagner in December. Read their conversation here.

5. NE Best Food Towns

In September, GoLocal created its first ever rankings of the Best Food Towns in New England.

Here was our methodology:

GoLocal's researchers sought to quantify the essences of a truly great food town by capturing several key factors about it: its top restaurants and its culinary lifestyle.

To assess its concentration of top restaurants, researchers utilized a set of awards and ratings: AAA's Diamond rating system and Mobil/Forbes' Startle Star rating system formed the basis for the pool. Restaurants that rated 4 or 5 diamonds/stars in the last 4 years were collected and filed by their location. From there, researchers logged every James Beard Foundation award winner for the last 4 years as well as the 2013 semi-finalists and applied those restaurants to the base of cities of towns.

4. #4 Ice Cream State

Bay Staters love their ice cream, in fact, more all but two other states (plus District of Columbia). The website Bundle assessed ice cream consumption per capita based on credit card transactions at ice cream and frozen yogurt vendors.

3. Worcester's Best Pizza

The best thing about pizza places is that no two are the same. But that also makes it hard to narrow down which spots are best to grab a great pie or slice. So luckily, GoLocal's Emily Davies put out her list of the best pizza joints in Worcester this February.

2. The Cronut War

Cronuts? Or Dosants?

Whatever you choose to call them, they are delicious. But these tasty doughnut/croissant hybrids brought Worcester into the spotlight in 2013 over who made them first -- and GoLocal was there to get the scoop.

New Yorkers were flocking to a SoHo bakery owned by Dominique Ansel to get their hands on his new creation, the Cronut. However, Worcester's Alina Eisenhauer had been making the same pastry for years, though she called them Dosants.